United States Department of Agriculture

Forest Service

Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry

11 Campus Boulevard Suite 200 Newtown Square, PA 19073

File Code:

6500 Date: May 11, 2011

TO: State Foresters (IL, IN, MI, MN, NY, OH, PA, and WI); Non-Government Agencies, Organizations, Municipalities, Tribal Administrators in Great Lakes Watershed

REPLY DUE July 15, 2011

I invite you to provide proposals for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). This initiative is an interagency program directed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and co-sponsored by many agencies including the US Forest Service. EPA funds administered through the Northeastern Area (NA) will provide grants to target the most significant problems within the region in four main areas of concern: Program Area Approximate Funding $ 225,000 GLRI Area of Concern Wildlife Protection and Habitat Restoration Invasive Species

1. Restore Urban and Community Forests - Utilize existing

management plans and tree cover assessment tools to target tree planting activities to improve ecosystem and stream health, and restore wildlife habitat 2. Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) - Forest Habitat Restoration in areas impacted by EAB 3. Reduce Toxic Substances in Brownfield Sites - Utilize the planting of trees and vegetation to take up or trap contaminants and reduce storm-water runoff 4. Payments for Ecosystem Services - Incentivize
measureable, robust voluntary actions that result in carbon storage, water, and/or biodiversity benefits and will, in turn, compensate private individuals and entities for exceptional land stewardship that provides public benefits.

$1,360,000

$1,800,000 Toxic Substances $220,000 Near shore health and nonpoint source pollution $3,605,000

More specific information about the purpose of this grant funding can be found in the two enclosed Requests for Proposals (RFPs). RFP-A includes instructions for Program Areas 1-3; these proposals must be submitted through the State Foresters (or Tribal Administrators). RFP-B includes instructions for Program Area 4 (Payments for Ecosystem Services). The Ecosystem Services funding is well-suited to local-level initiatives that may be scalable and replicable to other portions of the Great Lakes Watershed over time. Therefore, we invite proposals from local municipalities, NGOs and other

Caring for the Land and Serving People

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organizations. These proposals may be submitted directly to the Northeastern Area. The submission deadline for all proposals is July 15, 2011. All proposals should be returned electronically to: na_glri_rfp@fs.fed.us (na_glri_rfp@fs.fed.us).

State Foresters (IL, IN, MI, MN, NY, OH, PA, and WI); Non-Government Agencies, Organizations, Municipalities, Tribal Administrators in Great Lakes Watershed

Please share this request for proposal with other agencies, municipalities, and organizations that may have interest and capability to participate in this program directed at restoring the water quality in the Great Lakes.

Sincerely,

/s/ Mike Dudley MIKE DUDLEY Acting Area Director cc: L. Lee, R9 M. Rains, NRS NA Field Representatives G. Childs, NA-OC B. Terry, NA-FIRE S. Davis, NA-FIRE S. Hines, NADIR I. MacFarlane, NAASF N. Vrevich, R9 NA State Foresters: Connecticut Delaware Iowa Maine Maryland Massachusetts Missouri New Hampshire New Jersey Rhode Island Vermont West Virginia